There He Is!
by TheDoublemintTwins11
Summary: Some people live for an excuse to hate. In a society divided into two classes of people, Zoro and Luffy face the challenges of being together despite the ever increasing prejudice against them. AU, pre-time skip characters, ZoLu, SanNam.


There He Is!

-DMTwins-

Zoro pulled the door to his room open a crack. The hallway was empty, which was good. He glanced over to the alarm clock next to his bed. His landlord didn't usually wake up until eight or nine o'clock. Zoro had been leaving before six and coming home late in an attempt to avoid him. His rent was overdue, but he really didn't have the money to pay it right now.

For some reason his alarm hadn't gone off that morning. Still, he hoped that it wasn't too late to slip out unnoticed. He stepped out into the hall and closed the door quietly behind him. The floorboards creaked normally, but today they sounded much louder than usual. When he reached the steps he heard the doorknob at the end of the hall turning and his heart skipped a beat. He broke into a run at that point, jumping down the entire flight of stairs and reaching the front door just in time to hear some feverish cussing from upstairs. After the initial excitement of fleeing from his landlord had passed, fatigue began to set in again. He would rather be sleeping right now, but he'd settle for going out to buy a coffee from one of the vending machines down the street.

He yawned and glanced up to see a young, dark-haired couple standing in the middle of the sidewalk. They looked utterly outraged at the sight of him, and Zoro was at a loss as to why until he noticed that the waist-high bar that divided the sidewalk was not on his right side, as it usually was. With an irritated scowl he hopped over to the left side of the bar. The coupled scoffed at him almost in unison before continuing toward their destination. Zoro flipped them the bird and kept walking.

The city of Rougetown had two types of people: those with "natural" black or brown hair color, and those with unnatural, or "motley" hair color. Though the two were entirely equal in status, they were, for the most part, forbidden to mix. They walked on different sides of the sidewalk. Separate apartment complexes housed only motley-haired or natural-haired citizens. There were cases where Motley and Natural haired citizens worked together, and got along fine, but there were many more cases of mothers forbidding their children from speaking with those who were different from them, and fathers taking their children out of school because there was too much diversity.

He had been fired a few weeks ago for sticking up for a black-haired co-worker in front of his boss, and hadn't been able to find work since then.

It had been this way as long as he could remember. When he was younger, he'd never really understood why hair color mattered. Now he knew that it mattered only because the citizens refused to think differently.

_His best friend Kuina had been a Natural, and so had her father. It didn't make a difference to him. Every once in while kids would be removed from their dojo because of the diversity of the students, but he and Kuina had long since decided that only the weak would quit for such a stupid reason. He went over to her dojo every morning, and trained with them all day long. And he never once defeated her. But that didn't matter, because one of them was going to be the best. They knew that from the start. _

_The vandalism on the dojo didn't bother them. Neither did the men and women shouting "Nat lover!", "Mot lover!", "Disgusting!" The broken windows could be fixed, the graffiti could be painted over, the bruises made them stronger. _

_The day after their two-thousandth fight, the citizens decided that they needed to take matters into their own hands. Send a message of some kind…_

_They buried her that day. His sensei gave him Kuina's sword. He took it and never looked back. A few weeks later, his sensei was gone. He didn't know where to, but even at that age, he knew it was for the best._

Zoro was brought out of his thoughts by the sharp blast of a horn. He cocked his head to the side to see a bright red car stopped a few inches over the crosswalk. A girl with orange hair was driving. She seemed a bit shaken, as though she didn't expect him to be there. Zoro raised an eyebrow at her, then at the long skid marks she had made when she stopped.

"Watch where you're going. You might run someone over." Zoro said nonchalantly, though he knew that he was the one crossing the street without paying attention. She thanked him for his advice with another loud horn blast and a glare. Zoro continued across the street despite the "don't walk" sign, and the girl made a point to burn her tires as she continued.

Zoro walked up to the vending machine on the left—the one with "Mots" spray-painted across it. He pulled his wallet of his pocket as he read the piece of paper taped to the vending machine. It was a notice about how the owners had raised the prices—again. The owners were a Natural couple, and they'd been doing this every month or so for the past year. He sighed in frustration as he pulled the last of the money from his wallet. He was almost out of cash, and his savings wouldn't last him much longer.

He glanced at the building. The shades were drawn and the sign on the door read "closed". Then he turned to look down the street. Aside from the couple, and the woman in the car, he hadn't seen anyone else around. It was probably still too early for people to be going to work. Zoro leaned over the bar and put his money into the other machine. He pressed the button and drew back, waiting for it to vend. When it did he stepped over the bar to get it.

"Hey!" Zoro felt his heart skip a beat as he whirled around. The owner had just rounded the corner, on his way to open shop. The words 'Caught Red-Handed' came to mind, but Zoro put on an innocent face anyway. "What the hell do you think _you_ are doing?" The man spat.

"What, this? I was just—"

"He was just buying me a coffee." Zoro glanced at the speaker. His eyes widened a little bit at the sight of him—this was the last place he would have expected to see him. The boy was shorter than he was, with black hair and a straw hat hanging around his neck. He had a huge grin on his face, like he was having the time of his life…

Zoro recognized him immediately.

The last time he'd seen that look on the boy's face, Zoro had still been in high school. He'd never even learned his name, but he still felt the same strong connection with him as he had the first time they met.

"Sorry about that! I gave him money to buy me a coffee, I just forgot that the machines cost different amounts…you know, we wouldn't have this problem if you didn't charge them more." The boy said matter-of-factly.

_Zoro was the captain of the kendo team in high school. Not by choice, really… he'd been forced into the position by two of the other members of the team—Johnny and Yosaku. They'd found out that he was a swordsman and decided that he would be a member of their club. It was only after they'd actually met him that they found out how good he was, and they'd run with it._

_The team had gone to a tournament one weekend, and easily made it to the semi –finals. They decided that Yosaku would take the semi-finals, and Zoro would fight for the championship. Yosaku had won, though not easily, against a student from a strictly Monochrome school. The referee, who also had black hair, had said that their team was disqualified for a violation of the rulebook. They all knew exactly what that meant, but the hosts of the contest received a lot of their funding from that particular school, so they were planning on turning a blind eye on the conflict. _

_Their team was outraged, and about to kick the guy's ass. This kid had saved him the trouble. He'd knocked the guy out and given a rousing speech about equality—or, at least, the start of one, before security came and escorted him out. The administrators were afraid of the negative attention it might give the school and allowed them to continue to the championship. _

The kid took the coffee from Zoro and gave him a gentle push toward the alley he'd come out of. "Anyway, better get going. Don't want to be late."

Zoro nodded and followed the kid toward the alley, who paused only long enough to shoot a smug smirk at the owner, before walking away. The second they'd turned the corner he handed Zoro the coffee.

"I'm Luffy…" He said, then, as an afterthought: "Cool hair."

"Roronoa Zoro. Uhh, thanks… for that." _He probably doesn't recognize me, _he thought.

"You don't have to thank me. That guy's the worst. Separate vending machines! What's his problem anyway?" Luffy asked, though he didn't give time for an answer. His expression grew stern, "We're not all like that, you know."

"I know." Zoro said. Luffy locked eyes with him, as though he were checking to see if Zoro really did know. Then he smiled, and Zoro found himself smiling too. It was kind of hard not to, really, with the way this kid looked—a lot like the children in the town who couldn't quite accept the answer 'because they're different' as reasonable.

"Hey do you want to go...somewhere? Get a coffee or something?" Luffy asked, and Zoro raised an eyebrow. After a long pause, Zoro took a sip of the coffee in his hand and Luffy finally caught on, "Oh wait, you already…have one… well yeah, umm, that's okay—Sanji always told me I was horrible at this—well then I guess—"

"Sure." Zoro cut him off. He had an entire day to waste before going back to his apartment, so going with him was just an interesting change of pace. There was a pause before Luffy finally grasped what he'd said.

"Yes? Oh, Yes! Okay… Do you wanna… go get breakfast or something?" He asked with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Do you know any good restaurants?" Zoro asked, amused by his stumbling. Luffy nodded eagerly.

"We can go to the Baratie. It's only a little ways away. The cook there—Sanji—is amazing!" Luffy grabbed Zoro's wrist and ushered him to the other end of the alley and onto the sidewalk as though they'd known each other for years. _He act's like a kid_, Zoro thought as Luffy went into great detail describing all different kinds of food that the Baratie had (most of which he'd called mystery-something-or-other) Still, they'd been walking together on the Polychrome half of the sidewalk, and Zoro could tell that Luffy was blatantly ignoring the hateful looks sent their way as though he knew this was exactly where he belonged.

_Strange,_ Zoro decided the moment he saw the Baratie. It was shaped like a fish for God's sake. Still, as they got closer to the front door the smell of the food reminded him that he hadn't eaten at all today.

Instead of going in through the front door, Luffy made his way toward the back door, most likely leading to the kitchen. A car was parked right next to it, and as they made their way around it Zoro felt he recognized it, though he couldn't quite decide from where.

Luffy announced their presence by shouting "Sanji! Food!" the moment he stepped inside the door. Zoro couldn't help but chuckle at the collective groan that rose from the cooks in the kitchen. Luffy was unfazed by it as he reached for two plates at once (and was beat off by two cooks at once) before proceeding to the back of the kitchen.

Not really sure whether he should follow or not, Zoro stood awkwardly at the door. A couple of the cooks gave him a passing glance, but other than that they were too busy with their work to notice. He stayed there for a moment, contemplating whether he should wait for Luffy or follow him. The problem was resolved for him when a huge clamor of dishes and pans rose from the back, followed by a "Damn it; use the front door like normal people!"

Luffy bolted out of the kitchen like a bat out of hell, pushing Zoro through the double doors that lead to the customer seating as he went. He pulled it shut behind them, just as a loud 'clang!' of a pan hitting the door rang out. Luffy sighed in relief before pulling his wallet out of his pocket.

"So… Table or booth?" He asked nonchalantly, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Luffy grabbed a couple of menus off of the counter and they took a seat in the back of the room. Luffy began flipping through his and Zoro did the same. Zoro frowned slightly at the prices—everything was expensive. He reflexively reached for his wallet when he remembered that he didn't have any money left. He closed the menu again and casually pushed it aside. The motion didn't go unnoticed.

"You've already decided?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not really hungry." Zoro lied, hoping that Luffy would accept the excuse. He seemed to, though not without looking at him as though he was insane. Someone stepped up to the side of their table. Zoro glanced over to see the red head from earlier, and it clicked that the car out back had been hers. She looked irritated about having to wait tables.

"May I take—Oh, it's you. What do you want? Let me guess, everything?" The waitress asked Luffy. He smiled and nodded before pausing.

"No wait, make that two of everything." He said, gesturing toward Zoro as though his presence explained the ridiculous amount of food. She ignored Luffy's request for two of everything (because normal people can't eat near that much) and regarded Zoro for a moment before recognition spread across her face.

"You're the idiot that walked into the middle of the road this morning." She said, as more of a statement of fact than an accusation, "What can I get you?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." He replied. Her reaction was similar to Luffy's, though more skeptical than shocked. She stood there for a moment. Her mouth opened, then closed again, as though she was going to say something and decided against it. As she left, Zoro took a moment to look around the restaurant. There were people with many different hair colors sitting around the room. Though Luffy and Zoro were the only ones sitting together, there were no distinct "Nats" and "Mots" sections. There was, however, a group in the back that was particularly loud, and seemed to be growing in volume. Luffy seemed to notice too, though he was pretending to ignore them.

In the middle of the group sat a man who looked completely wasted. His nose was bright red, his hair was blue, and he was wearing extremely outlandish clothes, as though he was trying to draw attention to himself. Zoro turned his attention away from the group when he realized Luffy was talking to him.

"Y'know, Sanji will make you something for free if you tell him you don't have any money." Luffy said nonchalantly. Zoro looked taken aback by this, but Luffy just shrugged and changed the subject. "Why did you come with me? I mean, you don't really know me, do you…"

"I don't have anything better to do." Zoro said, which was the truth, because he had no job and quite a bit of time before he could go back to his apartment. "Besides, I'm having a good time."

A wide grin spread across Luffy's face, but at the same time a loud clang rang out from the back of the restaurant where the boisterous group was sitting. They were all staring at them, and Zoro assumed they'd been listening, too. The one with the big nose slammed his fists on the table and leapt from his seat.

"Y'see! Thaz exactly wha' I'm talkin' bout. Isst disgustin'!" He said to his friends, who all laughed and agreed in union. By now the entire restaurant was focusing on them, and though some of the people in the restaurant looked utterly shocked, there were a few people nodding in agreement. Luffy turned away from them coldly.

"Get lost, big nose." Luffy said. The blue haired man's attention snapped toward him. His entire group fell silent.

"What'd you say, you filthy Nat—" Luffy was out of his seat so fast it took Zoro a moment to realize what was happening. He did, however, realize before the rest of the drunken group that their leader had just taken a fist to the face, and was currently eating floor. After a long moment in which the restaurant fell completely silent the group erupted into outraged cries. They all leapt toward him, nearly in unison, though some paused to steal utensils from surrounding tables, thinking that the new weapons would help in their fight.

Zoro watched the fight uncertainly, not really sure whether he should help Luffy or not. He seemed to be doing fine on his own, but a mob of people versus one guy wasn't very fair…

In the midst of the fight, as Luffy was beating off a couple of men wielding steak knives and forks, despite the protests of surrounding customers, Zoro noticed a blond cook emerge from the kitchen. He probably trusted Luffy's ability to hold his own, because he didn't try help, nor did he try to break the fight up. He just watched with interest and casually smoked a cigarette. The waitress, who Zoro had deduced must also be the owner, watched the fight with horror, shouting various exclamations of "Damn it, that was expensive!" and "Take it outside, damn it, why do you always pick fights in here?" Before finally resigning to let Luffy finish his fight.

Luffy heaved a satisfied sigh when he had finished off the last of them. The ones who were still conscious stumbled outside on their own in an attempt to get away from Luffy, while the others were dragged outside by the overenthusiastic blond cook when the woman asked him to 'clean up'.

In the distance the sound of sirens approaching grabbed Luffy's attention. He seemed irritated for a moment before turning to Zoro with a look that could only be described as a pout. He smiled and rose from his seat.

"Maybe we can finish breakfast some other time?" Zoro suggested, and Luffy grinned happily.

"Yeah!" He paused for a moment to glance out the window "I'll give you my phone number?" He said it like a question, though he was grabbing a pen off the counter as he spoke. He scrawled it on a napkin quickly and handed it to Zoro. "Call me later."

Zoro nodded, though he didn't actually own a phone, nor did he have money for a payphone. He'd just have to find a free phone he could use. He stuffed the number into his pocket, and Luffy took that as an invitation to take his leave. He followed the cook and the waitress into the kitchen, with the sirens wailing even louder than before, and the door swung shut behind them.

Zoro walked out the front door, being careful to step over the unconscious people lying on the ground. By now the police had arrived, no doubt called by one of the many patrons in the restaurant. Zoro glanced in through a window to see one of the men who had agreed with the big-nosed guy glaring at him. Zoro acknowledged him with a nod, and the man turned away huffily.

Zoro chuckled to himself and walked over to the sidewalk. Luffy was, no doubt, long gone by now. It was probably about mid-day, and he still had quite a while before he could go back to his apartment. He would normally go to the gym, or practice his kendo, but in the rush to leave his apartment that morning he'd left his swords at home.

He glanced down one street, toward his apartment building, before he made a swift direction change. He could always check for his landlord's car, and if he was lucky it wouldn't be there…Zoro smiled when he saw that his landlord's car was, indeed, gone, but his smile soon faded when a cardboard box on the front step of the building caught his attention.

Zoro broke into a run when he realized what it was—he'd been anticipating this for some time now, though he had been hoping it would never happen. The box was filled with the things from his room that he owned—not much, just his swords, some clothing, food items, and a few utensils. He ran up the steps and tried his key in the lock. It didn't turn—_speedy bastard, _Zoro thought. He'd already changed the lock. He stomped down the steps and nearly kicked the box before a note taped to it caught is eye. He snatched it and read it.

_Try to avoid me, ya punk! That's the last time I let a fucking mot stay in my apartment complex. Have a nice life, and you still owe me money, you cheap bastard. _

Zoro crumpled the note up and threw it at the door, having already decided that he would never pay the rent he owed. Zoro paced the steps a few times before walking toward the box and scooping it up. He walked away from the building, not really sure where he would go. After walking mindlessly for a while he found that he had instinctively walked toward the park.

He'd spent a lot of his time here, waiting until it was late enough to go back to his apartment. Now he was beginning to fear he would be spending a lot more time here. He walked over to a bench and unceremoniously dropped the box on the seat. Zoro then sat down next to it and rested his head in his hands.

After sitting for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, Zoro sat up suddenly and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the napkin, now crumpled, and flattened it out with a frown on his face. He stared at the number for a moment. He didn't have any money for a payphone, but even if he did call, what would he say? He scratched the back of his head and sighed. He really didn't have any other option, though.

**At this point, I have not written much for this idea. I enjoyed the concept and I have done minimal amounts of storyboarding, but I'm not really sure where I stand on continuing. If you would like to read more, especially if you have ideas on where you, as the reader, would like this to go, I'm always open to opinions.**

**I've been planning on starting a new project, so if you'd like this to be it, please review and let me know.**


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